Shadow's Curse
by MysticIris
Summary: When Halloween arrives in the Negaverse, anything can happen. Including a visit from an unexpected guest. Takes place after "Life, the Negaverse and Everything."
1. A Ghastly Return

**Chapter 1: Ghastly Return**

******

It was just past seven 'o clock in the city of St. Canard, where children were eagerly awaiting the chance to go out and beg for candy from their neighbors. Today was Halloween and it was a very special day indeed. For the denizens of the Negaverse, this was the first Halloween they had been able to celebrate in nearly a decade.

Their evil overlord, Negaduck, had been vanquished thanks to the efforts of Darkwing Duck and the Friendly Four. The self proclaimed ruler of St. Canard had vanished months ago and there hadn't been a single sign of him since. With the citizens no longer living in fear of Negaduck, the Friendly Four helped to restore order to the city and it made a rapid recovery. Now, the people could enjoy simple pleasures like clean air, water, electricity, and enjoy their holidays without fear of retribution. The Friendly Four were certainly in the grateful hearts of the parents and children alike as they celebrated Halloween.

As for the four heroes of St. Canard, they had all spent their first Halloween in years by taking their two kids, Gosalyn Mallard and Tank Muddlefoot, trick or treating up and down their suburban neighborhood. The pair of kids had decided to go as Robin Hood and Maid Marian, while the four had naturally donned their Darkwing costumes. They had all returned home in the early evening, both kids with bulging bags of candy in tow. The only snag in the otherwise fun-filled evening occurred when the other three had figured out that Quackerjack had made Tank a real bow and arrow, not just a toy one like he had said he would. However, after arguing that nothing bad had happened because of it and that Tank was more than mature enough to have the bow, the subject was quickly dropped.

Eventually, all of them had retired to the master bedroom on the second floor of their small two-story home. It was the former home of their ultimate enemy, Negaduck, which they had worked together to renovate after his disappearance from the Negaverse. No one who entered it would have ever guessed that just months before there were holes in every wall, the furniture was in shambles, the pipes were bent and broken, the windows were smashed in and the roof had holes in it. No one that is, except for its former occupant, Gosalyn Mallard.

The sweet, red curly haired duckling was now happily living in the cozy renovated home with her four guardians, the Friendly Four and her best friend Tank Muddlefoot. Once Negaduck had disappeared, the Four had quickly rounded up Launchpad and the three evil Muddlefoots, locking them away in a high security prison. Though they were his family, Tank had never agreed with their support of Negaduck and he knew that he was as good as dead to them after helping Darkwing out anyway. Still, he was too young to be on his own just yet, so Gosalyn suggested that he should come live with her and the others. Tank had been a long time ally of the Four and they agreed with their daughter that he should stay with them. In fact, they had insisted on it.

Since then, the six of them had happily lived together in the small house that had once belonged to the dreaded overlord. Currently, all six of them could be found laying or sitting on the king sized bed in the darkened master bedroom, watching an old horror movie on the television. It was the standard haunted house movie with a standard horror movie plot. A small family had just moved into an old creepy house, only to find out that it was haunted. The storyline was being seen from the father's perspective, who was now entering a darkened hallway in the house by himself with nothing more to protect him then a baseball bat. It was about midway through the movie and the house was finally seriously trying to get rid of the family members, one way or another.

Megavolt was sitting on the right edge of the bed with Gosalyn and Tank close beside him watching the movie progress. Quackerjack was fidgeting where he sat on the left edge of the bed. It wasn't that he thought the movie was boring; it was more that he was never one who could sit still for very long. Behind him was Liquidator, who was lying down with his wet head resting on a pillow. His eyes were only half open and his posture made his disinterest in the film quite clear. Bushroot, on the other hand, was sitting on the bed behind Megavolt, with his arms curled tightly around his knees. The plant duck was rigid, not wanting to watch anymore, but not able to tear his eyes away either. He hated scary movies, but he didn't want the others to tease him for being a wimp. If he had torn his eyes from the screen for a moment, however, he would have noticed that he wasn't the only one who wasn't handling the movie very well.

The eerie music and darkened corridors were beginning to get to Gosalyn and she inched closer and closer to Tank as she continued to watch, getting more and more jumpy by the minute. Suddenly a door slammed on the television and Gosalyn yelped, throwing her arms around Tank's neck in fear. Tank, who had unfortunately just taken a big bite out a popcorn ball, choked and sputtered as Gosalyn buried her head in his chest and shivered. Alarmed, Megavolt put a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder, while Quackerjack patted Tank on the back until he stopped coughing.

"Gosalyn, sweetheart, are you alright?"

Megavolt's caring, nasally voice made her look into his blue goggled eyes with her frightened green ones. She allowed him to pull her into a hug as she tried to compose herself.

"There, there, Gos, it's okay. It's just a movie. None of this is real and it can't hurt you."

"I know it's not," she whispered embarrassed at her childish behavior, "and I know I shouldn't be scared. I'm sorry."

"Hey, there's nothing to be ashamed of kiddo." Bushroot chimed in, his arm growing out so he could pat her on the back. "There are a lot of adults who get frightened by these films too."

"In fact, if you had just looked behind you, my dear, you would have witnessed one of those terrified adults in all their quivering glory." Quackerjack looked straight at the plant mutant as he said this with a teasing grin. His green friend stuck his tongue out in reply, a bit of sap rising in his cheeks.

"Advisory warnings suggest that perhaps this particular piece of cinema is not suitable for minors." Liquidator spoke up, turning the attention away from the embarrassed Bushroot and back to the manner at hand.

"I think maybe you're right." Megavolt concurred, letting go of the red haired duckling, searching for the remote.

"Oh, no, please don't turn it off!" Gosalyn pleaded guiltily, grabbing the electric rat's blue gloved hand. "I don't want to make everyone miss out because of me."

"That's sweet Gosalyn, but it really isn't any trouble. I think most of us have already seen this movie anyway."

"Really?" She asked in a low whisper, looking at every person on the bed in turn.

"I don't mind. I prefer comedies anyway." The jester replied, pulling out a paddle ball. He bounced it as quickly and noisily as he could to cover up the sounds coming from the television.

"Ten out of ten movie critics agree that this movie does nothing for the Liquidator." The watery dog replied with a yawn. "Besides, any local movie retail store could quickly satisfy his horror movie needs if so desired."

"I'm not disappointed, _believe_ me." The mutant scientist said, casting a warning glare at the clown across from him as he opened his large bill to add in a sarcastic remark.

"What about you Tank?" Gosalyn turned to her friend, the only person who hadn't spoken yet.

"I'm pretty tired anyway." The intelligent duckling informed her with a shrug. "Besides, everybody knows that movies like these rot your brains."

"Oh please, like you don't have any brain cells to spare." Quackerjack cut in, playfully ruffling the thick, tidy brown hair. Tank gave a grunt of protest at the treatment as Megavolt smiled at his friend's antics. He finally located the remote and turned off the television.

"I think maybe it's time for you two to get ready for bed." The electric rat informed them in his best parental tone. The pair of children nodded, never ones to argue, and started moving towards the bathroom. Tank walked into the dark hallway without a second thought, but Gosalyn hesitated, the scenes of the man walking by himself in a haunted corridor still fresh in her mind. She looked up as Megavolt placed a comforting arm on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll go with you. We both know I've got enough electricity running through my blood to light an entire city." He ended with a wink and his daughter gave him a small smile in return.

"And make sure to brush your teeth really well!" Bushroot said with a stern nod of his head. "You know what all that sugar can do to your teeth. You have a pretty smile and I don't want you to get any cavities."

"Thank you, Bushroot. I will." She gave him a small curtsy before taking the outstretched hand of her electric guardian and walking down the hall. As soon as they were gone, the teasing grin returned to the clown's face as he turned to the plant duck.

"Gee, Bushy, you sound like a public service announcement." Quackerjack remarked with a giggle as he continued his game of paddleball. "Everyone knows how much dentists exaggerate about these things."

"This coming from a duck with false teeth." His green friend retorted with an eye roll.

The liquid dog began chuckling after the curt reply and the grin quickly disappeared from the jester's beak, replaced by a sour countenance.

"At least I don't have to brush anymore."

"Eight out of ten analysts agree that Quackerjack needs to know when he's beaten." Liquidator sat up and waved a finger back and forth in a tut-tut fashion as he spoke. "Sources rightfully claim that small consolation statements will only hurt his chances of winning the debate and not help it."

"You always side with Bushy." The toymaker pouted childishly as he finally lost his paddleball game. "I'm your friend too, you know."

"You started it." Bushroot told him, folding his arms primly. "And you've been teasing me all evening."

"Oh come on, you know I don't mean anything by it." Abruptly, Quackerjack somersaulted backwards on the bed, sitting up right in between the pair of mutants. He threw his arms around both of them in a spontaneous gesture of fondness.

"We've all been through a lot together. I may tease you sometimes, but you both mean a lot to me. You know that."

It was unusual for the jester to speak in such a subdued manner and after exchanging bemused glances, the other two returned the embrace of their friend.

"Perhaps it is time we all follow our doctor's recommendation and get a good night sleep." Liquidator suggested as the three broke apart and the eccentric duck somersaulted back to his spot at the corner of the bed. "Any eye witness would concur that we've all had a busy day."

"I also think we should all sleep here tonight." Bushroot put in with a nod. "I think Gosalyn will feel better if we're nearby her tonight, especially if she has a bad dream."

The other two nodded and made themselves comfortable on the bed. Tank came in a few minutes later and lay down in the middle of the bed. Completely at ease in the company of their loved ones, the quartet soon fell into peaceful slumber.

******

Gosalyn dutifully brushed her teeth as Megavolt waited for her in the hallway. He had said a quick "good night" as Tank, who was still dressed in his Robin Hood costume, had passed him by and then started whistling to pass the time.

"Hey, Megavolt?"

The quiet voice made him glance down towards the door and see his daughter standing there hesitantly, looking adorable in her pink Maid Marian outfit that she worn for Halloween.

"Yes, what is it?"

"It's just, well, can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"How does that movie end?"

The electric rat studied her for a minute, debating whether or not he should tell her after how scared she'd been just moments before.

"I want to know." She said fervently, taking a good guess as to why he was hesitating in answering her. "Please?"

"Okay," he gave in with a sigh. "Basically, the father character decides the house is too dangerous to stay in and tries to get his family out of there. The house toys with him, allowing him to get close enough to his kid's and wife just before it makes them disappear. While this is happening, he keeps seeing a shifting white shape that resembles a portrait painted of an old woman that he'd found in the house when he'd moved in. Finally, he realizes that the vengeful spirit is connected to the portrait and when he destroys it everything goes back to normal."

"So, everyone ends up being okay?" Gosalyn asked looking very relieved indeed.

"Yes, once the painting was destroyed, the ghost's ties to this world were gone. Everything it did was undone and the family moved out as soon as possible, burned down the old house and lived happily ever after. Does that make you feel better?"

"Yes!" The curly haired duckling replied with a happy smile. She took his hand as they began walking back towards the master bedroom. "Thank you for telling me the ending."

"You're welcome. But still, if you want to stay with me tonight, you're more than welcome to."

Before she answered, they peeked in through the door and Megavolt smiled at the sight of the other four residents of the house fast asleep on his bed.

_Looks like we all had the same idea. It seems like I can always count on them to be on the same page as me._

"Well, if it's not too much trouble…" She trailed off, being polite and feeling a little guilty that the electric rat's bed had been taken over for the evening.

"Of course not." He reassured her with a pat on the head as she resumed her place next to Tank.

Smiling at one of her parents, she slowly stretched out on the bed with a yawn.

"Good night Megavolt." Gosalyn whispered as she closed her eyes and went instantly to sleep.

"Good night Gos." He whispered back softly, glad that his daughter didn't seem to have any trouble going to sleep.

Stroking her curly red hair gently with his gloved hand, he thought back to how nervous the four of them had been to becoming her guardians. It wasn't that they thought she was going to be any trouble – far from it – it was more that none of them really had any experience with children, let alone raising one. Their lives for the last few years had been about nothing but fighting and struggling against Negaduck. That was a full time job and it certainly left no time for any other endeavors.

In spite of this, however, the four of them worked together to raise her and after a while all of their uneasiness on the matter disappeared. As a matter of fact, Megavolt had been surprised at how well their different personalities and skills had complimented each other.

Each of them performed separate duties and roles around the house. Megavolt was in charge of fixing any electrical/mechanical problems and was normally the one driving the kids around. He made sure that everything was working properly, that they had all the supplies they needed and (with a little help from Liquidator) that all the bills were paid.

Quackerjack, not to anyone's surprise, was the constant playmate for Gosalyn and Tank. With his toy factory up and running again, he had an endless supply of games that he could entertain the kids with. He had more than enough energy to keep up with the two kids, a fact that the other three appreciated when they were worn out.

Bushroot was the one who made sure that the house stayed clean and that everyone was well fed. He was the only one of them who could cook and with his knowledge of plants and nutrients; he made sure that everyone got a decent, healthy meal. It had been very out of character for him tonight to make candy apples, cookies and other sweets for everyone since normally he detested letting the kids have anything that was sugary and unhealthy. Truthfully, he was the most maternal person out of the four of them.

Liquidator was in charge keeping track of allowances and that the kids had earned them. He made sure that both Gosalyn and Tank learned the value of frugality and how to make their money last longer. When he wasn't doing finances, he also joined Quackerjack in playing some games with the two kids. Not surprisingly, the Liquidator was an expert at any board game or card game involving money, which he won every single time, much to the displeasure of the jester.

Looking at each of them in turn, he was proud of how they had come and how much he enjoyed living in their small home. Glancing back down at the two sleeping kids again, he also thought about how proud he was of how grown up and mature they both were.

"What are you thinking about, Megs?"

The question startled him since he thought that all of his friends were asleep. Quackerjack rested his beady eyes on the leader of the Fearsome Four, studying him for any signs of misgivings.

"Oh, I guess I was just thinking…"He trailed off, clearly struggling for how to phrase this sentence.

"Yes?"

"Well," He choked off again for a second, before sheepishly meeting his friend's eyes. "I was just thinking that everything I love is lying on this bed."

Blinking in surprise for a minute, a warm, understanding smile spread across the toymaker's bill. It was very unlike his electric friend to be so sentimental, but then he remembered his own unusual sentimental gesture earlier that evening. They had all been through a lot together, but they had persevered and now they could enjoy the simple things like celebrating Halloween. Days like this always reminded them of the bad times and made them grateful for what they had.

"I'm sure everyone here feels the same way."

A moment of peaceful silence passed between the pair as they looked at all the sleeping occupants of the bed. Stretching for a minute, Megavolt finally lay down on the bed making himself comfortable and putting an arm around Gosalyn as Quackerjack closed his eyes.

"Good night Megavolt. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."

******

The peaceful sleep of Gosalyn Mallard only lasted for about an hour before she woke up again, feeling a chill running up her spine. The whole room was unusually cold and she hadn't been sleeping underneath the covers. Shivering, she was about to get up to find a blanket to put over herself when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye.

Rubbing her eyes, she turned herself towards the source of the motion and sat straight up as a dark pool began moving across the floor. It stopped in front of the bed and lay still for a moment. The curly haired duckling drew her legs up to her chest as she watched the pool ripple and then come to life. It rose upward slowly until it began to flesh out into the form of a short duck with slanted red eyes. The glowing red eyes met hers for a split second before she let out a terrified scream.

Startled, the Friendly Four and Tank all stirred and looked for the source of the cry.

"What's the matter, sweetie?" Megavolt asked, being closest and recovering first. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Puzzled when he received no reply, he followed her gaze and immediately sat bolt upright at the sight before him. The other members of the Friendly Four did the same, their eyes widening as they stiffened in shock.

"Negaduck?!" The four said in unison staring terrified at the apparition before them.

Gosalyn's fear was replaced by shock as it finally dawned on her that this was her former father and ruler of the Negaverse. Or at least, it was his shadow. The red eyes were overcast by the familiar fedora hat that he always wore accompanied by his signature sinister grin. His body was draped in the same costume he had worn day in and day out until he had disappeared. In his right hand, the young girl recognized his favorite weapon: his chainsaw. Only this time, it seemed to glow red with tiny spits of flame decorating the edges of the blade. His entire body was see-through and there was some type of energy, almost like a blue electrical current was running through it.

"Well, well, I'm glad to see you all remember me." They recognized the deep evil voice that spoke to them as Negaduck's, although it sounded slightly distorted. There was an echo after his last word, making it seem like he was speaking to them from somewhere far away.

"What do you want?" Bushroot demanded in a firm voice, his blue eyes never leaving the shadowy figure before them.

"I've come," he replied in a low, deadly whisper, "to take back what is rightfully mine!"

Without warning, he stuck out his left hand and hit all of the members of the Friendly Four square in the chest with a small electric shock. The attack surprised them, but not as much as watching their own shadows come to life, slide away from them, and head towards the former overlord of the Negaverse. The shadows split up and formed mirror images of the Friendly Four, two flanking each side. All four of the apparitions had glowing red eyes and twisted smiles on their faces.

"I'll start by taking back _my_ house!" Negaduck raised his chainsaw for effect, making sure that all of them could see its fiery blades. "It's time I paid you all back for defying me."

******

Author's note: Alright, I got through the first chapter. I'm planning to have the main story done on Halloween, so be looking for updates in the near future. I've never really written anything in the horror genre before, so this is all quite new to me. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!


	2. Shadow and Flame

**Chapter 2: Shadow and Flame**

******

Time seemed to stand still as the red eyed ghost of Negaduck raised his fiery whirring chainsaw over his head, aiming for his former daughter, Gosalyn. Megavolt regained his senses first, remembering that he was the leader of the Friendly Four and his orders were needed now more than ever. Seeing the imminent danger to the girl he swore to take care of, snatched her up and rolled off the bed, just before the evil mallard swung his chainsaw down.

"Move!" He shouted to his comrades who were still staring in horrific fascination at the shadowy figure before them.

Snapping out of it instantly, Liquidator and Bushroot jumped off the bed to either side, while Quackerjack grabbed Tank around the waist and quickly removed him from harm's way. They had all gotten away just in time as their enemy's weapon cut straight through the middle of the bed all the way to the floor. The edges of the sheets caught fire and began spreading rapidly over the remaining fabric.

Not wanting the flames to reach the walls and cause more damage, Liquidator shot a stream of water from his right hand. The water dog wasn't entirely sure that his powers would work on supernatural fire, but once the spray hit the sheets, the flames dissipated instantly. A triumphant smirk spread on his fluid features and he returned the thumbs up he was being given by their leader.

Encouraged by the effects of Liquidator's powers, the other members of the Friendly Four glared at the dark silhouette of the former evil overlord. Tank and Gosalyn moved behind Quackerjack and Megavolt respectively as Negaduck removed his chainsaw from the broken bed and straightened up.

"You don't scare us Negs! Looks like we're game for whatever new tricks you have up your sleeves." The jester said panning his hand out over the doused sheets.

"Yes, new gimmicks and packaging cannot mask an inferior product for long!" Liquidator announced proudly behind him.

"We beat you once, we'll do it again." Bushroot said in a resolute voice.

"You'll be the one regretting you came back here." Megavolt finished, sparks flying between his fingers. "Besides, we have home field advantage after all."

The electric rat knew he might be going too far with this jibe, but he couldn't help but throw it in his enemy's face. Expecting either an angry or contemptuous response, he was more than a little surprised when all Negaduck did was rest the blade of his chainsaw on the floor and place his head on top of the handle. There was a small calm smile on the shadowy mallard's face, a smile that Megavolt didn't like one little but.

"Tsk, tsk, Sparky." He replied in a far too innocent whisper. "When are you going to learn that I'm always one step ahead of you?"

Negaduck snapped his fingers and flash of blue light blinded them all for a split second. Opening their eyes again, they realized they were no longer in the master bedroom. The group found themselves in a torture chamber with all sorts of medieval devices scattered around the room. The dirt floor had blood stains on it and some of the equipment, such as the thumb crusher and the spike bed, had skeletal remains still strapped to them. Megavolt pulled Gosalyn close, covering her frightened green eyes with his body, so she wouldn't be able to look at the atrocities around them.

"What have you done?" He asked, trying not to let his fear show in his voice. This was not something he or any of his allies had expected, if their startled expressions were any indication.

Negaduck, whose electrical current was now surging in large streams, gave the group before him no reply. Instead the four shadows of the Friendly Four, which had been created when he zapped them minutes before, disappeared through the grimy dirt walls by the exit. Grinning mockingly, the ghostly duck slowly floated out after them through the door.

"Follow me, if you dare!" He taunted when only his red eyes were visible in the darkness.

Not wanting to be trapped in the creepy room, Megavolt made the executive decision for his teammates.

"After him, come on!" He commanded forcefully, grabbing Gosalyn's hand and tugging her forward. The others were on their tail, not hesitating for a moment.

As they crossed the threshold, the small blue flash covered the room before them and when it subsided, none of them could believe what they were seeing.

In their normal house, the master bedroom would have led straight out into a simple carpeted hallway with a stairwell at the far right end of it. Now, they were standing on top of a creaky wood floor in what seemed to be some type of deserted ballroom. The intricate wooden railings were covered in cobwebs, while the lace curtains hanging down over the many blackened windows over the stairwell were faded and torn. Walking up to the railing, they took in the sight of rotting floor boards and broken tables and chairs scattered about what must have been a beautiful room in its prime. In the center of the floor stood their otherworldly enemy, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for them to spot him.

"Well, what do you think of my new décor? I have to say, I think it suits my personality quite well, don't you?"

"Charming." Bushroot retorted with an eye roll, though he was really putting up a front to hide the growing jitters in his stomach.

"What do you want Negs?" Quackerjack shouted down at the ghost on the floor, who immediately turned his attention back to toymaker.

"I just want to have a little _fun_." His emphasis on that word made no one standing above him feel better, knowing quite well what his idea of fun was. "I'm sure someone like you can understand that, Quacky. Now, how about we play a little game?"

Abruptly, the four shadows of the Friendly Four appeared, standing side by side on top of the old railing. The group of six stepped back, the real Friendly Four surrounding the two kids and preparing for a fight.

"I hope you all like to play dodge ball."

The apparition of Megavolt launched a small black lighting stream from his fingertips at his counterpart. The electric rat raised his foot as the spark landed right underneath it. He was astonished to find that it left a scorch mark on the floor.

"Of course, my version's a little more deadly. Get 'em boys!"

Chaos quickly ensued as the four shadows all launched into the air and disappear momentarily, only to reappear in random areas around the room. Bushroot was taken by surprise when Megavolt's shadow jarred him in the back with electricity. Falling to his knees, the plant duck struck back by growing one of his long arms out, attempting to trap his attacker. To his dismay, his arm passed right through the apparition, who gave him an evil smirk before fading away again.

The others were in no better shape then their green friend. Liquidator was shape shifting and dodging back and forth, trying not to get hit by the blue marbles that Quackerjack's shadow was tossing his direction. Apparently, his otherworldly form had inherited his arsenal of toy weapons, which he had invented specifically for fights against Negaduck and his minions. The marbles had each been small gas pellets in disguise and the ones that the apparition was throwing at him were releasing small sprays of freezing gas.

Megavolt was shooting electricity at all of the ghosts in his sight, all the while avoiding watery blows from Liquidator's shadow. He wasn't able to get in many good shots while dodging the sprays of dark water being thrown his way, but even when he did manage to hit the liquid dog's specter, it had no effect.

Quackerjack, who was having an easy enough time avoiding his enemies' attacks with his natural agility, was surprised when roots grew out of the wooden floor and caught his feet as he leapt. Falling backwards and rolling until he hit the wooden bars coming down from the railing, he saw Bushroot's shadow give him a triumphant smirk before fading away again.

Taking in the situation, he saw that all of his friends, not to mention the two poor children, where all having a tough time. The shadows disappeared quickly and reappeared whenever there was an opportunity to land a cheap shot. Though the Friendly Four were valiantly trying to fight back, more often then not their enemies fired shots at Tank and Gosalyn, forcing them to take hits to protect the kids.

Gritting his teeth as he saw the terrified look on the red haired duckling's face, he looked over his shoulder and saw that Negaduck hadn't moved from his original position in the center of the ballroom floor.

_I have to stop this! _He thought determinedly, watching the ongoing struggle between his friends and the shadows in dismay as he picked himself up. _These apparitions are just decoys. If I get rid of the source, then everything should go back to normal._

"Alright, I've had enough of this!" Quackerjack declared, jumping over the railing. Megavolt glanced over and saw what the jester was doing in alarm.

"Quacky, wait!" He yelled at the jester as he ran after him and attempted to join him on the main floor. When he jumped up, his body hit something solid and he felt a small shock run through his system. Landing back on the wooden floor in a heap, he stared up at the railing in confusion.

"What happened? "Are you okay?" Gosalyn had come to his side instantly and helped him up.

"It looked like some kind of barrier." Tank informed them as he came to stand beside Megavolt. "I surmise that Negaduck put it up to separate us from Quackerjack."

"All of the shadows have vanished too." Bushroot noted as he placed his hands against the invisible wall and drawing them back when a shock hit him. He tried to push at it again, but was forced back when a bigger electric shock hit him. "I don't know if we can break this."

Liquidator tried throwing some water shaped balls at the wall to no avail. A deep frown appeared on his face as he turned his gaze towards the floor below.

"All marketing statistics agree that this is a trap." The water dog lamented, trying to think of anything he or the others could do to help their friend now.

While this was going on, Quackerjack had easily landed with a gymnastic roll on the floor to take away the impact. Standing up gracefully in front of Negaduck, the bells on his hat chiming loudly, he crouched down into a fighting stance.

"It's playtime!" He shouted his favorite catchphrase with a grin as he stared down his enemy.

"So glad you're willing to 'play' with an old spook like me, Quacky. I just hope you're up for the challenge."

"Oh, you know me. I'm game for anything."

"We'll see about that." The evil duck answered darkly.

The jester was getting tired of trading words and lunged forward at his opponent, only to nearly fall on his face as the apparition of Negaduck vanished. Regaining his balance, he searched around the empty room for his enemy, when he felt cold, clammy hands grab his arms. Bushroot and Megavolt's shadows had him in their firm grip and no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't free himself.

"Aw, too bad for you Quackerjack. Looks like it's already game over."

The toymaker gave a sharp cry as he felt something kick him for behind. Falling to his knees, he glared behind him at Liquidator's shadow, which had stealthily slid underneath him while he'd been distracted.

A disembodied chuckle made him turn around and face his own shadow that was giving him a maniacal grin. His ghostly double pulled something out of his pants pocket and when he brought it into the light, it formed into the familiar shape of a toy gun. Quackerjack's heart sank as he realized which gun it was. It was the white zapper gun that shot real lasers, one of the most deadly weapons he had ever created. It had been very effective against Negaduck and his henchmen when he had used it, a fact that clearly hadn't been lost on the shadowy mallard before him if his sadistic smirk was any indication.

His own shadow wasted no time in firing a blast that grazed his right arm, creating a small open wound that began dripping blood. Fighting back a cry, the jester began thrashing around in an attempt to free himself from the other shadows' grasps. Clearly enjoying the struggle, his double teased him by raising the gun up very slowly before taking another shot. This one went across the top of his left shoulder, creating a much bigger wound.

This time he was unable to hold back his cry of pain. His throbbing shoulder was clouding his thoughts as he struggled to think of a way to escape. He could sense without looking up that his shadow was now pointing the gun at his heart, aiming to land the death blow.

"Quackerjack!" Megavolt's frightened shout echoed from the banister, seeing the danger his friend was in and feeling helpless to stop it.

He tried zapping the barrier in front of him to no avail. The electric rat tried again and again, frantic to do something before it was too late. Bushroot and Liquidator both joined him in taking shots at the invisible wall before them, but their powers had no affect either.

Negaduck looked up at the struggle of the other Friendly Four members with sick glee. There was nothing they could do now but watch as one of their friend's met their end at his hands. He decided to draw it out just a little longer before he let his henchman land the killing blow.

"Looks like you were playing way out of your league, clown. But, you know the old saying: you win some, you lose some. And when you're fighting against Lord Negaduck, you'll always be on the losing side."

"That's just like you Negs." Quackerjack smiled in spite of his predicament. He'd just thought of something. "Declaring yourself the winner before the game's even over."

"The words of a true sore loser." Negaduck waved off the statement arrogantly. "Shoot him!"

Just as the shot was fired, Quackerjack pulled something out his pocket and softly tossed it into the path of the laser. The red eyes of the former overlord of the Negaverse recognized the doll that had been thrown into the air. It was the toymaker's favorite Mr. Banana Brain doll.

Quackerjack had rewired the doll so that it was now a bomb in disguise. He had kept it on him in the case of an emergency, to be used when there was no other choice. Deciding now was that time; he shut his eyes tight, waiting for the incoming explosion.

In mere seconds the laser shot had connected with the doll, causing an explosion that swept over his shadow and Negaduck. The other three apparitions scattered, trying to avoid the blast.

Above the chaos, the other five people standing by the railing covered their eyes as bright flash of light filled the room. The shaking caused all five of them to fall down on the floor. When the light finally dissipated and the commotion had stopped, they all uncovered their eyes and gazed down at the floor.

Uneasy about what they would see on the ballroom floor, they were shocked to discover that there was no one remaining from the battle below them, only a gigantic crater in the ground. All of the shadows, including Negaduck, had vanished. Worst of all, there was no sign of the injured jester.

"W-where did he go?" Gosalyn's quavering whisper echoed the question that was in all of their minds. "H-he didn't…"

They all jumped as they heard a familiar chuckle. Negaduck's glowing apparition appeared, floating in front of them. He relaxed his posture, crossing one leg over the other with his chainsaw resting on his lap and a gloating smirk spread across his beak.

Bushroot grabbed the two kids by the collars of their clothes and pulled them away from the railing. Both he and Liquidator stepped in front of them, resuming their fighting stances. Megavolt did the same, keeping a wary eye on the glowing otherworldly mallard.

"Where's Quackerjack?" Megavolt demanded, sparks flying from his plug hat and fingers. "What did you do to him?"

The former supreme ruler of the Negaverse let out an evil cackle at this, enjoying the looks of confusion, fear and anger on his victims' faces.

"Boy, Sparky, I knew that you were never bright, but the answer to that question should be obvious to even a dim bulb like you." He leaned forward and continued his next sentence in a sadistic whisper. "I killed him."

Megavolt's eyes widened in shock for a second before a furious glare replaced it.

"You're lying!" He shouted, trembling with anger and fear. "I don't believe you! Now, where is he?"

"I wouldn't worry about that if I were you, Sparky. After all, you losers will all be joining him soon enough."

Without another word, Negaduck's ghost whooshed past them in a black swirl and headed back into the master bedroom. Following him, the five of them arrived back at the dungeon room that they had started in. This time, however, there was no sign of Negaduck.

Each of them began examining different corners of the room, waiting for some kind of surprise attack to hit them. The others were so busy keeping watch on the eerily still room that everyone except Tank failed to notice the addition of barred windows to the once closed off chamber. Walking slowly up to the one on the left side of the room, he leaned up and took a gander outside of it. He gasped at what he saw and quickly whirled around.

"Hey, guys, come here! I think there's something you should see."

The other four wasted no time in joining him by the window. Glancing out it, they could see that the outer walls and structures of the house looked exactly the same despite the changing of the rooms on the inside. That minor detail only held their attention for a second before they realized the danger they were in.

Negaduck had made his way outside and was standing in the backyard, fire gathering and blazing brightly from his raised chainsaw. They watched in morbid fascination as small orange flames formed around the side of the house, creeping closer to the wood. For now, they were very small balls of fire, but they were surrounding the house. The group knew that there would be trouble if all of them hit the wood and it caught fire.

"Is he trying to burn us alive?" Bushroot asked watching the advancing flames with a wary eye. "And what happened to the other shadows?"

"It's my hypothesis that they could have been destroyed in the blast…"Tank trailed off, straightening his glasses on his bill. "Unfortunately, there's no evidence to back that idea up."

"Never mind that now." Megavolt said impatiently. "We've got to find a way to stop him! Come on!" He immediately spun in his place to head towards the door. Bushroot and the others were about to follow him when Liquidator stepped in front of them, both arms spread out to halt their movement.

"I'll go out there and hold him off. The rest of you should look for a way out while he's distracted."

"But–" Megavolt tried to protest, but the water dog was vehement.

"It is an indisputable fact that the Liquidator has almost no chance of being harmed by fire–an amazing attribute that is not shared by the rest of you. The Liquidator can travel through the pipes and get the upper hand on our enemy before he knows what hit him! So please, take this time to try and get to safety. Go!"

They all hesitated momentarily, not wanting to leave their friend behind. Unfortunately, they also couldn't argue with his logic. Finally, Megavolt placed a firm hand on the liquid dog's shoulder and gave him an approving smile before shuffling past him. Bushroot gave the two kids firm pushes on their shoulders to get them moving, stopping momentarily to give Liquidator a pleading look.

"I know there's no point in arguing with you when you've made up your mind," Bushroot met the translucent eyes with his worried blue ones. "but please be careful, okay?"

"You have my full cash back guarantee that I won't do anything reckless." He informed his long time friend with his signature smile.

Reassured, both Bushroot and Tank joined Megavolt by the door. Gosalyn, however, threw her arms around the water dog's waist, giving him a fierce hug.

"You'll come back right? You're not going to…"

She trailed off, memories of Quackerjack's disappearance still fresh in her mind. The red haired duckling felt thick, wet arms encircle her and give her a tight squeeze.

"The Liquidator will meet you once his work is done outside." He broke his embrace and gave her a gentle pat on the back towards his friends. "Now, hurry! We don't have much time."

Nodding, Gosalyn joined the others who quickly left the master bedroom to search for the rest of the house for an escape route. Once they had all left, Liquidator dissolved into a puddle and headed in the direction of the bathroom.

Liquidator wasn't sure if he would find the bathroom where it used to be, considering the fluctuation of the rooms inside the house. He did, however, have a theory that Negaduck was trying to separate them and that if he was alone he would be able to find what he was looking for without a hitch. The liquid canine was also well aware that if he was correct, he was falling right into Negaduck's trap.

_But if I can distract him, allowing the others to escape, then I'll have more than broken even on this endeavor. Besides, statistics shows that the odds of fire against water will always favor water. The bets are all on the Liquidator for this round._

When he finally reached the room that was the bathroom, he entered hesitantly, waiting to see if it would change on him. Finding that it was still exactly as it should be, he entered the pipes through the sink and slid his way down until coming out of its end into the sewers. Finding the water drain outside their house quickly, he burst upwards and landed on the hard concrete street.

Seeing the fireballs still advancing upon the house, Liquidator took on his dog form and began gliding swiftly around the perimeter. Spraying water from his hands, the small flames rapidly dissipated and in mere moments there were none left. Coming to a halt at the back of their home, Liquidator gave a smug nod at his handiwork.

Just as he was about to dissolve into his puddle form and head back, a long stream of flames was launched in his direction. Gliding backwards to give himself more room, the watery canine shot two long streams of water from his arms. The streams intertwined together and easily overpowered the smaller blast of fire.

It was then that he heard the familiar maniacal laugh and saw the red eyed, glowing shadow of Negaduck. His figure still teemed with a strong silver stream of energy and his glowing red chainsaw was whirring silently in his hand, spitting flames from its blades.

"Well, if it isn't the mutated water freak of St. Canard. Either you're too stupid to figure out that this was a trap or you're so full of yourself that you thought you could beat me without any help. Personally, I would go with the former, but if it's the latter, I'll make you pay for thinking you could beat me so easily."

Negaduck waved his fiery chainsaw menacingly, but the liquid canine stood his ground.

"Market research proves beyond a_ ghost_ of a doubt," Liquidator smirked as Negaduck rolled his eyes at the awful pun, "that you're fighting potential, not to mention your spookiness, are highly overrated. All the polls are closed and they conclude that water will always beat fire, ethereal or not."

"Still can't talk normally, can you, you dripping freak?" Liquidator's eyes narrowed as the shadow form of Negaduck mocked him.

"Aw, what's the matter? Did I hurt your feelings?" Negaduck sneered raising his chainsaw menacingly. "If it bothers you so much why don't you come over here and do something about it? Come on, I dare ya!"

Liquidator didn't need any more encouragement as he glided forward, intent on wiping out this ghostly threat once and for all. Just as he was about to reach the evil mallard, he felt something cold and thick wrapping around his arms. He realized too late that the shadows of Megavolt and Bushroot had flanked him and now he was caught in their arms that had stretched and morphed into rope like bonds.

Trying to free himself from their clutches, he felt more bonds tying themselves around his waist, holding him still. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw his own shadow giving him a nasty smirk as all of the bonds tightened uncomfortably. Glaring back, he attempted to drop down into puddle form to escape his captors and was shocked to find that he couldn't.

"It's amazing what supernatural powers can do, isn't it?" Negaduck smirked triumphantly, happy that his target had taken the bait. "Not so strong when you can't liquefy, are you?"

Liquidator squirmed in the grasp of his captives, desperate to get away. Suddenly, the Negaduck placed a hand on his shoulder and sent a jarring electric shock through his watery form. Crying out in pain, the watery dog fell forward as the shock subsided, held up by the bonds that held his watery body. He heard the familiar whir of a chainsaw and saw small flames flick mere inches from his nose.

"If you think this hurts, imagine what kind of pain your pathetic little friends will experience through when I run my chainsaw right through them. I'll make them suffer for what they did to me, _especially_ that traitorous little brat of mine."

Liquidator's released a low growl and glared his defiance at Negaduck. Before the villainous mallard knew what was happening, the hose in the backyard took on a life of its own. A high pressurized spray of water released from the nozzle, going straight through his shadow. With a strange, ghostly gargle, his shadow disappeared sinking back into the ground. The water stream moved forward swiftly, going straight through him and making a direct hit on the fiery chainsaw. The weapon flew from its master's hand and landed a few feet away. The blade stopped whirring and gave a pitiful sputter as it shorted out, rendered completely useless by the water that had soaked it.

The red eyes of his enemy widened in shock for a moment as he stared at the remains of his favorite weapon. To Liquidator's surprise, Negaduck's galvanized state had nearly extinguished with his chainsaw's destruction and now he looked very similar to the other two shadows that held him. The only difference was that there were still a few small streams of blue electrical currents running through his hollow body. The red eyes met his translucent blue ones, his face contorted into a fit of rage.

"Don't think you've won, you pitiful mongrel! I still have you right where I want you."

Gathering up his remaining electrical energy into his hands, he grabbed Liquidator by the shoulders, giving him a powerful shock. The watery canine howled in pain as his body amplified the shock wave. The current slowly faded from his form, but the damage was done. The pain overwhelmed him and Liquidator closed his eyes, losing his battle for consciousness.

******

Once they had left Liquidator behind, the two members of the Friendly Four and the two kids headed for the stairwell. Finding the barrier that was once there was gone, they headed downstairs. Currently, Megavolt and the others had reached the area of their house that used to be the kitchen. Currently, it looked like some form of dungeon with a dirt floor and chains hanging from the walls. Each room had changed into something – or rather somewhere – different and each of them was getting more desperate and frustrated as they searched for a way out.

"This is ridiculous! We'll never get out of here as long as the rooms keep changing like this." Bushroot vented as they walked slowly through the dungeon room.

"Don't say that." Megavolt replied sternly as Gosalyn's grip on his hand tightened.

"I'm sorry," the plant duck told him quickly seeing that his remark had frightened their daughter, "but I don't understand where Negaduck got the power to control dimensions like this."

"I don't think he is." Tank remarked slowly, as if he was hesitant about releasing this information.

The other three stopped and turned around to face him to ask the young boy genius what he meant by that. Before they could, however, the dungeon room they had been standing in faded abruptly and replaced itself with the normal kitchen. Stunned, the four of them glanced around the familiar scenery in askance.

"What just…?" Megavolt started, but he was cut off when a horrible cry caught his ears. All four of them turned towards the sound and their blood ran cold at the sight before them. From the kitchen window, they could see Liquidator's limp body held between Megavolt and Bushroot's shadows.

"Liquidator!" Bushroot cried in horror, trying to think of a way to help his friend before it was too late.

Suddenly, the two shadows surrounded the water dog, shrouded him in darkness and sunk into the ground. In an instant, they were all gone.

Shock and numbness traveled through the remaining group of four that stood by the kitchen window. The air in the room was still and cold as silence rang throughout the room only to be broken by a quiet sob.

"No…Liquidator's gone too…"

The small red haired duckling felt Megavolt's arms wrap around her and pull her close. She clutched at the electric rat's yellow jumpsuit as tears fell down her cheeks. Megavolt, Bushroot and Tank all looked at each other, dismay clearly written on their faces as they each asked themselves the same question: how could any of this have happened?

******

Author's Note: Well, there's a nice cliffhanger for everyone. ;) The next chapter will be up on Halloween. Thanks for reading!


	3. Possession

**Chapter 3: Possession**

******

Megavolt, Bushroot, Gosalyn and Tank stood numbly inside the silent kitchen. Quackerjack and Liquidator had both fought against the now ethereal Negaduck along with their own shadows brought to life and now they were gone. None of the people in that room wanted to think that the worst had happened, but after examining the situation before them, it seemed like a liable possibility.

Megavolt continued comforting his frightened daughter, who had just managed to stop crying. Tank was trying to keep himself composed in this situation, though in truth he was almost as upset about the evening's events as Gosalyn. Bushroot stared desolately out the window at the spot where Liquidator had been. His mind was still processing what he had seen and part of him just didn't want to believe it.

The plant duck's morbid revelry was cut short when he caught the eyes of the dreaded specter outside. The glowing red eyes met his blue ones for a few seconds before disappearing.

"He's coming!" Bushroot said frantically, getting everyone's attention in a hurry. "Negaduck's heading straight for us."

Just as he finished his sentence, the kitchen transformed back into the dungeon room it had been previously. They could hear their enemy's sinister cackling echoing around the room, but none of them knew where he actually was.

Taking charge, Megavolt quickly glanced behind him and noticed that the living room was still normal. It appeared that Negaduck's powers had weakened and he could only alter one room at a time.

"This way, hurry!" He commanded, grabbing Gosalyn and Tank's hands and pulling them along.

The electric rat and the two children got through the door without a hitch. His relief quickly faded as he heard a startled cry behind him. Whirling around, his heart caught in his throat as he saw that metal bars had come down from the door's frame, separating them from Bushroot. The plant mutant was tugging on the bars to no avail, a look of desperation written on his face.

"Reggie!" Megavolt cried as he ran back towards the now blocked doorway.

Reaching the bars, he futilely tried tugging on them from his side of the room. Meeting his friend's eyes, he knew he had to think of a solution before it was too late.

"Just hang in there! I'll think of something, I'll get you out of there, so just–"

"It's alright," Bushroot cut off his friend's frantic ramblings with his small resolute whisper. His bright blue eyes betrayed a touch of fear as he forced a reassuring smile on his beak. He took his leafy hands off the metal bars and stepped away. "Don't waste your energy. Just take Gosalyn and Tank and get out of here."

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Megavolt's hands gripped the bars tighter, knowing that Bushroot was saying goodbye. "I won't leave you–"

"Look out!" Tank cried out in alarm. He and Gosalyn grabbed the electric rat and pulled him away seconds before a large metal door appeared right where he'd been standing.

Tearing away from them, he ran back to the massive obstruction that now blocked the path between him and his last remaining teammate. Balling his fists, he pounded them uselessly against the door in anger, frustration and sadness.

"No…" The rodent leaned his forehead against the metal surface as he stopped beating at it with his fists. "…Reggie, not you too…"

Wanting to give in to despair, he came back to himself as he heard a quiet sniffle behind him. He turned to see that his daughter had started crying again and Tank was patting her back, looking equally miserable. Reminded of his purpose, he pushed aside his own feelings and took both their hands in his.

"Come on, we've got to get out of here!"

******

Bushroot turned around and wrung his hands as his mind began racing, searching for a way out of his predicament. Trying to control his shaking, he met the blood red eyes of the mallard's ghost that had appeared in the center of the room. Terrified though he was, the mutant scientist noticed that he was no longer sparking with electrical energy and that his fiery chainsaw was also missing.

"Hmm, what have we here? It looks like my favorite pathetic purple pansy." He scoffed as he watched the plant duck continue to quiver and take a nervous swallow. "I see you're still incapable of growing a backbone."

Scowling and balling his fists, he willed himself to stop shivering.

"And I see you're still completely devoid of a conscience. When are you going to learn that the Negaverse and its people don't belong to you?"

"I don't expect you to understand my logic or my motivations green freak. You're just a sentimental sapling with little power and even less ambition. Weak fools like you who squander their potential on things like love and kindness deserve to meet death at my hands."

"Yeah? Well, you're _dead_ wrong if you think I'm going down so easily." Bushroot was taking advantage of the dirt floor beneath his roots and began summoning some of his flora to his aid. He wasn't going to die without a fight.

_I owe it to Quackerjack, Liquidator and everyone else to make a stand now. My comrades selflessly risked their lives to protect us. I won't dishonor them now by running away._

"Empty words don't win fights, Bushy, especially when it's three on one."

As if on cue, the shadows of Megavolt and Bushroot appeared on either side of Negaduck. Spotting their target, they swiftly glided toward the plant duck, attempting to grab him.

Bushroot saw their advance and quickly rolled forward, feeling a chill as their ghostly hands brushed lightly against his green skin. Getting back on his feet, he raised his arms and an entire garden of flowers sprouted from the dirt floor.

"I'll teach you ghouls to have some respect for flowers. Now!"

On command, all of the flowers began spraying pollen, creating a thick mist the blocked the vision of his attackers. He knew it was only a temporary fix, but it kept his enemies off his back and gave him a chance to think.

_Only two of the shadows are left, mine and Megavolt's. When Quackerjack blew up his Mr. Banana Brain doll, I thought I saw his dark double get caught in the blast. And I only saw two of them when Liquidator disappeared. _He perked up, coming up with an idea. _My powers had no effect when I tried attacking Megavolt's shadow, but maybe I can get rid of my own. It's worth a try._

Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he narrowly dodged a stream of electricity shot by the electric rat's apparition.

_After all, two on one is much better than three on one. _He thought wryly, sprinting through the pollen fog his plants had created.

Heading towards the spot where he'd last seen Negaduck's red eyed shadow, the plant duck coaxed some tree roots to the surface. When he caught sight of the former ruler of the Negaverse, who was calmly floating above the ground as the chaos unfolded, he shot the gigantic roots in his direction. Scowling, the mallard disappeared from sight before the roots hit him.

Skidding to a halt, Bushroot pivoted and pointed one of his leafy appendages at the apparition of Megavolt. The shadow had been tailing him the entire time he'd been running, but when he saw the roots coming towards him, he backed off and allowed them to pass.

The mutant scientist purposely left his back unprotected and just as he predicted, his own shadow appeared a few feet behind him, intent on capturing him before he noticed his peril. The telepathic whispers of the flowers gave him fair warning of the other's presence, however, and he whirled around to face his enemy. The roots changed course with him and headed straight for his shadow. His double only had time to widen its eyes in fear before it was skewered by one of the large tree roots.

Bushroot allowed himself a small triumphant smile as he watched his shadow dissipate. His victory was unfortunately short lived, for Megavolt's ghost appeared right above him, sending pulsing rays of electricity in his direction. The actual shot missed him, but it had the side effect of sending sparks into his flowers, causing them to catch fire.

Covering his ears at the sounds of their screams, he gave the orders for the other plants to retreat back into the ground so that the flames couldn't spread. The apparition of the rodent was grinning sickly at him, clearly enjoying his suffering.

Fully intending to make the shadow pay for the pain he'd inflicted upon his fellow fauna, Bushroot was just about to summon some poisonous vines when he was body slammed from the side. He hit the wall with a loud thud, knocking the breath from his lungs. Opening his eyes for a split second, he realized it was Negaduck who had crashed into him.

Suddenly, he felt his arms slide upwards on their own as something thick and metallic closed around his wrists. The mutant scientist realized too late that the chains on the walls had taken on a life of their own and were now holding him captive. About to use his powers to squeeze out of them, he stopped moving when the hand on his throat drew itself away.

"You know, I'm in the mood for deep friend vegetable." Negaduck's shadow was watching him with eyes that were very similar to that of a predator watching its prey. He motioned to Megavolt's shadow to join him before giving him an order. "Fry him!"

Bushroot had no time to react as the double of his electric friend powered up and shocked him with a powerful surge of electricity. The plant duck had no time to scream and instantaneously succumbed to unconsciousness.

******

Back in the living room, Megavolt, Gosalyn and Tank had made it to the front door of the house. When the only remaining member of the Friendly Four attempted to open it, he found that it was stuck tight. To his dismay, zapping it didn't have any effect either.

Not ready to admit defeat yet, he ran up to one of the wide windows and attempted to open it. When he found this was also stuck tight, he let out a frustrated growl. Powering up, he sent a several large streams of electricity towards the glass, only to have it reflect right back at him. The returned shot hit him square on the chest and he flew backwards a few feet into the couch.

"Damn it all!" He cursed pounding his fists into the carpeted floor.

Megavolt continued hitting the floor with his right fist, cursing not only their situation, but Negaduck or whatever he was now, the other shadows, the fluctuating rooms, but most of all his own helplessness. Quackerjack and Liquidator were already gone. Even now, Bushroot was either fighting against Negaduck by himself or dying and there was nothing he could do.

_Dammit, I was their leader. And yet, all I could do was stand by and watch as they…_He trailed off, unable to finish the thought. …_I failed them…_

Small arms wrapped around him, stirring him from his morbid thoughts. Gosalyn was laying her head down on his chest, giving him a fierce hug. Megavolt couldn't help but smile at this. Even in the peril they were in now, his daughter was still more concerned about the wellbeing of others than she was about herself.

"Megavolt," Tank said hesitantly as the rodent returned the hug from his daughter, "I don't think we're really shifting dimensions."

Megavolt looked up at the stocky youth in surprise at this.

"What do you mean?"

"I noticed something earlier when we were in the ballroom. Do you remember those windows that were above the stairwell with the long, disheveled curtains?" He nodded affirmative and the boy continued. "Well, they were all open, but the curtains didn't move at all. Even if there was no wind, I would think that the cloth would have rustled a little bit. Also, it seemed a bit odd that there was no noise coming in through any of those windows. We were in that room for a long time and for there not to be a single sound…" He shrugged, trailing off.

"But, if it isn't dimensional shifting, then what's been happening to us?" Gosalyn asked, looking at her friend with both fascination and hope.

"I deduce that what we've been seeing have been little more than optical illusions. Negaduck has merely been fooling us with his well constructed fabrications of other places. I don't think we've ever left the house, but because the illusions we've seen have been so realistic, our minds have automatically led us to think that the room transformations are real."

"So, if we stop believing that the room changes are real…" Megavolt trailed off, his gaze locking on the front door.

"Unfortunately, I think we have to defeat Negaduck himself to remove the barrier on the door." Tank lamented, biting his lip. "But if he does put up another illusion, then if we don't think that it's really there then any affects it would have on us should be rendered useless."

"Then, how do we beat him?" Gosalyn queried, knowing that her genius friend might have some idea. A cold, eerie, yet familiar voice cut Tank off before he could speak.

"That's just it, my dear— you can't."

Megavolt stood up quickly and put the two kids behind him as the apparition of Negaduck appeared before them. The electric rat noticed that the metal door that had barred his way from the kitchen was gone now.

"Where's Bushroot?"

"Let's see," Negaduck put a hand underneath his chin, cruelly pretending to think it over. "Oh, I remember now. I strung him up, fried him and threw him in the compost heap."

Megavolt felt himself shaking, but this time it was out of fury instead of fear.

"I wouldn't worry about it Sparky. I'm sure fertilizer face is happy to be resting with his own kind."

Glowing red from the build up of energy, Megavolt shot a powerful stream of electricity. The evil mallard merely laughed off his efforts, dodging easily and gliding past his opponent.

Unknowingly, Negaduck had done just as the rat had wanted him to. By moving, he'd left the pathway to the rest of the house open. Grabbing Tank and Gosalyn's hands, he ran over to the archway by the stairs and gave the two kids a shove towards it.

"Tank," he ordered sternly, "I need you to take Gosalyn and get her away from here. Go!"

Tank nodded hesitantly, but Gosalyn grabbed the cape of his Darkwing outfit in her hands and held it close.

"No! We won't leave you!"

"This isn't a discussion!" He snapped, causing the little girl to wince. "I won't have either one of you in harms way."

"B-but -" Gosalyn whimpered, tears filling her green eyes again. "I don't want you to die."

"And I won't." Megavolt said firmly, more for the children then for himself. "But if I'm going to fight him, I want to fight him knowing that you two are somewhere safe. Okay?"

"O-Okay." The red haired duckling agreed unhappily.

"Take care of yourself." Tank said with feeling as he took Gosalyn's hand. The pair ran up the stairs, away from the living room. Once they were in the clear, he turned back to former overlord of the Negaverse, who looked as though he were about to die of boredom.

"**Finally**. If I had to endure another minute of that sappy conversation, I would have turned you all into worm food."

Megavolt didn't respond to the remark this time, just began powering up for the fight.

"Well, Sparky, I have to ask you," the duck whispered deviously, "how does it feel to be the leader of a dead group of losers?"

"They're not 'losers,'" the rodent shot back with a snarl.

"Face it Sparky, everything you and your pathetic friends have ever done has been in vain. Despite all your efforts, I'm still the ruler of the Negaverse and everything in it belongs to me."

"You're wrong! The Negaverse has never belonged to you. No matter what kind of powers you've got or how many times you come back, the good people of this dimension will still defeat you."

"I see you're still a hopeless idealist." He crossed his arms and shook his head. "You should listen to yourself sometime. It's really quite sad."

Negaduck snapped his fingers and the scenery abruptly changed. Megavolt was now standing outside in a dreary plaza, with broken cobble stones beneath his feet and a murky fountain at its center.

_So, that's his plan. He brought me here so he could short me out. But if Tank's correct and none of this is real, then that muddy water shouldn't have any effect. I hope he's right._

"Allow me to _shock_ some sense it to you, my delusional friend."

Right as he finished saying this, a jolt of electricity hit Megavolt square in the back. Yelping in surprise, he fell forward and landed hard on the ground. Rolling away, he narrowly dodged another shot of voltage from his shadow. Getting into a crouch, he fired back, intercepting his enemy's attack in mid-air.

"You've got some nerve shooting electricity at me." He yelled at his double as he got up. "Prepare to eat some high voltage!"

Powering up, he launched several streams of energy up at the apparition. It dodged them with ease and took some shots of its own. All the while he was fighting the shadow; he kept Negaduck in the back of his mind, waiting for him to make his move.

A few zaps later, what he had predicted when he was subjected to the illusion, started happening. The red eyed mallard was giving life to the murky water in the fountain and was about to fire it his direction.

Acting like he hadn't noticed, Megavolt continued trading blows with his shadow as Negaduck launched his attack. He fired one last stream of energy before closing his eyes and willing his mind to believe that it wasn't real. Waiting a few seconds, he knew that the water should have hit him by now, but all he felt was a cool rush of air passing by him.

_Looks like Tank was right as usual. _He thought with a smirk as he opened his eyes. _This entire place is fake._

When he turned back to his enemy, he could see that Negaduck's eyes had widened and his mouth was partially opened in surprise. The thunderstruck expression on his face said that he hadn't expected that anyone could see through his illusions.

Taking advantage of the situation, he gathered up as much energy as he could and sent two huge bolts of electricity flying at the former overlord of the Negaverse. Clearly caught of guard, he summoned Megavolt's shadow to appear in front of him and take one of the blows. With a painful shriek, the apparition disappeared, taking one of the electric streams with him.

Unfortunately for Negaduck, the other managed to survive its encounter with the last shadow and was heading straight forward. The mallard jumped to the side just in time to dodge the full impact of the blow, but a small part of it grazed his fedora hat, tearing it at the brim.

Abruptly, the illusion broke and the electric rat found himself standing in the living room once more. His gaze turned to his opponent, who seemed to be shaking. Whether this was out of anger or shock, the rat couldn't tell, but he did notice that the lines of his shadowy form were getting weaker.

_He's fading! _Megavolt realized as he watched the apparition before him lighten and darken, struggling for control. _Now's my chance!_

Knowing that he had to act fast, he summoned all his remaining energy to his hands. Literally glowing blue with power, he released a blinding flash of energy at his opponent. The rat heard a startled shout, before he backed away, shielding himself from the explosion that shook the room.

As the blast subsided, Megavolt searched for any sign of Negaduck. Seeing nothing except the remains of the disheveled living room, he allowed himself to relax slightly.

_Did I get him? Is he finally gone?_

His answer came in the form of a hard kick to the stomach. The angry mallard had appeared right in front of him and sent him flying into a wall.

"Nice try, Sp-Sparky," taunted Negaduck who was still flickering lighter and darker. "But o-once again, you've fa-fallen short of the mark."

Megavolt eyed his opponent curiously as he got back up. It seemed like he was also having trouble speaking, if the unwarranted pauses in his speech was any indication. Finally, he seemed to get control of himself once more as the shadowy figure returned to its normal state.

Realizing that his battery was run down, he pulled out his small zapper gun that was previously charged. His enemy saw this and snickered.

"Give it up, bolt breath. You and I both know you're out of power and that little thing couldn't kill a fly."

Ignoring the jab, he fired at Negaduck, who easily glided away. Continuing to fire his gun, Megavolt tried to pinpoint what he had done that had caused the shadowy figure to lose power.

Not paying as much attention as he should have, he gave the evil mallard an opening for a flying kick. Folding his arms in front of him to block the blow, he was startled when the mallard disappeared right before impact.

Looking around wildly, he was unprepared for the hard blow to the back of his head. His opponent had used his confusion to get behind him and land the final blow. Weakened from the overuse of his electrical powers, he collapsed forward unconscious.

Negaduck smirked triumphantly as the final member of the Friendly Four fell.

"Have fun joining the rest of your loser friends Sparky."

As he made Megavolt's body disappear, his gaze drifted up to the stairwell, where he knew the two remaining brats were hiding. He rubbed his hands together, ready to finish this once and for all.

******

Tank and Gosalyn had done as Megavolt had asked and ran up the stairwell. They went past the master bedroom and stopped towards the end of the hall. Everything was dark and the air was cold and clammy. Shivering, Gosalyn let go of the boy genius's hand and gave him a pleading look as they came to a stop.

"What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry. I'll think of something." Tank reassured her. "He may have new powers, but he's not invincible. I just need some more data or clues or—"

He stopped when he heard a large explosion coming from the living room. Both kids swayed and fell as the floor shook beneath them. As it subsided, the pair both got up and ran back to the railing. They were thinking the exact same thing.

"Megavolt? He didn't…" Gosalyn whispered as she peered through the wooden bars.

Tank joined her at gazing towards the living room, looking for some sign of their last guardian. Waiting for a painful moment, their hearts went to their throats when Negaduck's shadowy form glided into view. Meeting their gaze with his red-eyed one, he greeted them with an evil smile before fading from view.

Their question answered, Tank quickly took Gosalyn's hand once more and pulled her away from the railing. The stocky youth halted back where they were, wracking his brain for an answer to how to beat their ethereal enemy. Frustrated and more than a little frightened, his thought process was interrupted by his red haired friend's small, tearful voice:

"It's j-just like that awful movie." Gosalyn stuttered, trying to control her tears. "He's taking everyone away and leaving us all alone."

"The movie!" Tank snapped his fingers in excitement. "That's it Gos! That's the missing link."

"W-what?"

"I don't think Negaduck is _really_ here either." Tank explained quickly, knowing their time was short. "There has to be something that he's using to tie himself into this dimension. If we get rid of it—waaaahhh!"

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about **me,** now would you kid?" Negaduck sneered as he grabbed Tank by his collar and hoisted him up. As he was lifted from the ground, the bow and arrow from his costume clattered to the ground a few feet away from him.

"Tank!" Gosalyn screamed terrified that she was going to lose the only friend she had left. "Put him down, please!"

"'Please?'" The ghost repeated incredulously. "You really think—begging me is going to—save your wimpy little friend?

There were long pauses in his speech as his form flickered and faded twice before returning to its normal dark, shadowy form. The red eyes seemed to be narrowed in concentration as if he was trying to hold himself together.

"Think again!" He snarled as he waved his free hand behind him. A small dark crimson line appeared by the stairs and started expanding. A soft wind current began flowing into the room.

Knowing their time was running out, Tank examined the figure that held him, desperately trying to spot his weakness. That's when he glanced up and noticed the tear in the brim of the fedora hat.

"There!" Tank shouted, grabbing Gosalyn's attention. "It's his hat! Gosalyn aim for his hat!"

Startled, the red haired duckling searched for something to throw. That's when she noticed the bow and arrow by her feet, the real one that Quackerjack had made for Tank.

Picking it up, she hastily pulled an arrow from the quiver and set it to the bow. She closed one eye and tried to aim, even as the pull from the wind grew stronger. The apparition of the evil mallard saw what she was doing and made his way towards her, attempting to stop her before she fired.

"You little brat! How dare you try to shoot at your father!"

The remark made her remember her guardians, the Friendly Four. How each of them had cared for her after Darkwing Duck had left. How much joy they had brought into her life and how they had loved her unconditionally. All of them had protected her, even though she wasn't their biological child. They had given their lives up for hers, even though they could have just left her to her fate.

_Which is exactly what __**he**__ would have done had the positions been reversed. _

The thought summoned an emotion in the young girl that she had pushed down inside herself all the long years she had spent with Negaduck: anger. Pure, unrestrained anger filled her body and dissolved her fears instantly.

"You're** not** my father!"

Just as the shadowy duck was about to grab her, she fired an arrow straight for his hat. It whizzed away from the bow, plucked the hat right off of the shadow's head and put a large hole right through the top of it.

Immediately afterwards, Negaduck began reeling, letting out a pained shout. He dropped Tank, flailing about wildly as his form faded in and out. His red glowing eyes landed on Gosalyn as he struggled to maintain himself.

"I'll get you for this you little brat!"

Then, a bright flash of light blinded the pair of kids and when they opened their eyes, he was gone. The red line that he'd been creating had disappeared with him and the chill air that had filled the house ever since he'd arrived had vanished. Everything was back to normal.

"You did it!" Tank shouted elatedly as he hugged her. "Way to go, Gos! That was amazing!"

"Is he-" She asked eyeing the fedora hat suspiciously, "really gone?"

"Yes!" The boy genius exclaimed, releasing her and straightening his glasses. "You see, my theory was that Negaduck could only have gotten into this house by possessing something of his and using it as a gateway into the Negaverse. That old hat of his must have been in here somewhere and we forgot to get rid of it when we cleaned up. So, he sensed it from wherever he was, used it to get in here and—well, obviously you know the rest."

That was when "the rest" came back to her and she stared at the ground sadly.

"But what will we do now—now that their gone…"

This was a question for which Tank had no solution and he too stared at the ground disconsolately. Caught up in a fresh wave of misery, they both perked up when they heard familiar voices behind them:

"Gosalyn! Tank! Are you kids alright?"

Gosalyn immediately looked up and Tank whirled around where he sat. Running towards them were Megavolt, Bushroot, Liquidator and Quackerjack. The jester still had his wounds from the laser shots, while the others had a few bruises, but otherwise they were unharmed.

"You guys!" Gosalyn shouted happily, getting up and sprinting right into Megavolt's arms. She tightly wound her arms around his torso and hugged him like she would never let him go.

"This is real, right?" The red haired duckling whispered fervently as the others took turns in hugging her and Tank. "You're all alive?"

Quackerjack pinched her cheek and stretched it after she had said this.

"Would a ghost do this?" He asked playfully, finally letting go.

"Yours would." Bushroot remarked as he released Tank from his hold.

"You're not helping." The jester told him sticking out his tongue.

"Cut it out." Megavolt scolded quickly, knowing that the banter could go on for a while if no one stopped it.

"Anyway," Liquidator said in his best advertising voice, "ethereal trends show that ghosts, demons or any other form of otherworldly creatures don't spend time their time squabbling over minor details like those two. Does that make sense or should the pitch be reprocessed?"

"You would have to be some pretty good ghost actors to pull off all of your personalities' so well. Don't worry, we believe you." Tank said with a smile. Gosalyn, who was rubbing her cheek, nodded in agreement.

"So, are we safe now?" The red haired duckling had to ask, though she dreaded the answer. "He won't come back again, will he?"

They all gazed at the red fedora hat with apprehension. Once it had been removed from Negaduck's head, it had returned to its normal red shade instead of the deep black it had been when he was wearing it. They all knew that they should get rid of the thing, but none of them really wanted to touch it.

"I surmise that he can't use the same method to get back, but…" Tank trailed off, not wanting to voice the idea that Negaduck could come back without proof.

"For now, let's get out of here." Megavolt suggested, pushing both kids towards stairs. "I think some fresh air and a change of scenery could do us all some good."

"But, we can't just stay outside forever!" Gosalyn protested as she went down the stairs. "This is our home."

"And we won't." He assured her and the others nodded in agreement. "This is only temporary, I promise."

Opening the door and feeling relieved that it was no longer blocked off; all six of them stepped outside into the warm dawn. The remainder of Halloween had come and gone while they'd been tormented by Negaduck's evil powers. Walking out onto the sidewalk, Gosalyn and her friends admired the beautiful sunrise, each feeling very grateful that they had lived to see another day.

Enjoying the company of her loved ones, the little duckling decided that she it didn't matter if they returned to that house or not. As long as they were all together, she would always be happy.

******

Author's note: Well, the main story ends here. I'm going to have a short epilogue chapter up tying everything up that should be done within the next week or so. As always, reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading this far!


	4. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

It was midmorning in the Negaverse when the Friendly Four along with Gosalyn and Tank had returned to their home. Only this time, they had invited a guest to come along with them, someone who had quite a bit of knowledge on magic.

Morganna Mawcaber, a duck woman with long dark hair that fell to her shoulders with white streaks on either side wearing a tight fitting white dress, was currently floating about their small home in a trance. Muttering incantations, glowing while she hovered in the air, she slowly made her way through the kitchen and around the living room.

In truth, none of the Friendly Four were really all that happy about asking the witch for help. It was only because of the circumstances that any of them would have been willing to approach her at all. Gosalyn had presented the idea to them earlier that morning and at first all of them had flatly refused. Morganna had been a member of the Negaverse's Fearsome Five and had been one of Negaduck's staunchest supporters. Despite their protests, their daughter was insistent and reminded them that Morganna was no longer a threat to them after Negaduck had demolished the Fearsome Five—literally.

Back in the days when the evil mallard was still fighting for complete control over the city, he formed a team of bad guys whom he dubbed the Fearsome Five. The team consisted of Morganna, Gizmoduck, Stegmutt, Neptunia and himself. When St. Canard had finally fallen and all of the cities resources were in his hands, the Fearsome Five had celebrated, four of their members foolishly thinking that their leader would share power with them.

Their victory had been very short-lived as Negaduck summoned Launchpad and the Muddlefoots from hiding for a surprise attack. Launchpad with his rocket launcher and Herb with his flamethrower did the most damage, assailing Stegmutt and Gizmoduck first, while the other Muddlefoots used their machine guns to instantly wipe out Neptunia. Trying to put himself out, Stegmutt had lost sight of his former leader and died in agony when his chainsaw cut into him. Gizmoduck's super suit sustained too much damage from Launchpad's rocket launcher, malfunctioned and had shocked the duck inside with a strong electric current.

In mere moments, the only one left was Morganna. She had been burns on her arms from Herb's flamethrower and was lying on the ground as Negaduck approached her. As she sat up to face him, she reminded him of why she fought for him, because she loved him. The witch said she knew he had to have cared for her and that he would never harm her. A long silence fell between them as she held his dark eyes with her green ones before the evil mallard did something he almost never did; smile sweetly. Reassured, she closed her eyes as he placed a hand gently on her cheek. Then, he pulled a knife out of his cape and slashed her across the eyes. She fell to the floor, bleeding heavily and shaking from her betrayal.

It was then that the Friendly Four had stepped in to stop the slaughter. Together, they had managed to chase off Negaduck, Launchpad and the Muddlefoots. Unfortunately, the damage had been done. Neptunia and Stegmutt had died where they had fallen. Gizmoduck and Morganna had survived the assault and the Four had taken them back to the warehouse to try and heal them.

Gizmoduck only lasted a few more hours, since his internal organs had taken damage from the strong blows to his suit. Once they had gotten the suit off of him, the four heroes of the Negaverse had tried to stop the internal bleeding with no success. Gizmoduck's last act was to spit in Megavolt's face for his efforts and they all decided that none of them were sorry to see him go.

Morganna's worst wound had been her eyes, but with a little help from FOWL's medical team, they had managed to stop the bleeding. It was clear from the beginning that she would never be able to see again and the medics only confirmed their assumptions.

Both FOWL and the Friendly Four had been wary of the witch's reaction once she recovered, for she still could use her magic in spite of her physical damages. At first, she did not speak a single word to anyone as she lay in her bed, barely moving. Tired of the waiting, Megavolt took it upon himself to ask her what her loyalties were now. He could still remember her small, heartsick whisper when she answered him.

"_I was drawn to his power and confidence. I knew he was evil from the start, but I just couldn't help it. When I met him, I knew there was something special about him and that he could truly change things. At first, I went to him to help him change, to see the light. But the more time I spent with him, the further I fell in love with him. I thought if I was useful to him, that maybe he'd see me in the same way. That maybe he'd love me, but now…" She choked, tears falling from her white, unseeing eyes. "With my powers, I could sense his aura, an aura filled with darkness and hatred. With my eyes, I saw only what I wanted to see and ignored what I felt when I first laid eyes on him. Now, that I'm blind I can truly see. He was nothing but pure evil, incapable of anything except cruelty and malice."_

From then on, Morganna had no longer supported the self-proclaimed overlord of the Negaverse. She had even helped the Friendly Four on occasion, but they had gone to her sparingly, still not being able to trust her after all the times she'd fought against them.

Gosalyn was the only one who truly believed in her change of heart and was willing to give her a second chance. Even when she had sided with Negaduck, Morganna had always been kind to her, treating her almost like her own daughter. 

Thus, thanks to Gosayln's pleading and insistence, the former member of the Fearsome Five was now floating about their small home. They had briefly explained what had happened to them on Halloween night and she said the first thing she would do was search the house for anything that remained in the house that was his. The six members of the household were following a little ways behind her as she went up the stairs and stopped next to the red fedora hat. The witch stopped glowing, releasing herself from her trance and landing gently next to the hat. The dreaded object glowed for a moment as she summoned it into her hands. She seemed to examine it briefly with her unseeing eyes as the others gathered around her, waiting for her speak.

"I can't sense anything left in this house that has any trace of him. He can't come back by the same method again so there's nothing for any of you to worry about."

"That's a relief," Megavolt replied with a sigh. "Thank you for your help Morganna."

"You're welcome. Still, it bothers me that he came here the way he did."

"Do you know how he got here? I know that some part of him possessed his old hat, but I don't quite comprehend his method of travel or projection." Tank finished sheepishly, not used to admitting that he couldn't figure something out.

"I have a couple theories, yes. And none of them bode well for the Negaverse if they're correct."

All six of them exchanged glances, not liking the sound of that at all.

"If it's alright with you," the witch continued casting her unseeing eyes in Megavolt's direction, "I'd like to stay and discuss my ideas with you. I think it's something we all need to hear."

The leader of the Friendly Four hesitated momentarily, glancing at the other members of his team in turn. He knew they were uncomfortable with her being in their home in the first place considering that she had been their long time enemy. Quackerjack waited a minute before giving him an affirmative nod. Bushroot gave a half-hearted shrug, though he didn't look happy about the prospect. The electric rat's gaze shifted to Liquidator last and for good reason. None of them distrusted or hated the witch more than he did. After all, it had been her poison concoction that had turned him into what he was today. Even though it had been Negaduck who had thrown him into the contaminated vat of his own water and effectively ended his life as Bud Flood, he still placed the majority of the blame on Morganna. Thus, Megavolt patiently waited for his watery friend to give him one sign or another. Liquidator, who was standing with crossed arms and had his narrowed eyes locked on the floor, finally gave him a hand gesture that he took to mean, "Do what you will."

"I think it's important to hear you out, so yes, you can stay." Megavolt decided, making a hand gesture for her to follow even though she couldn't see it. "Let's go to the living room. There's more space and it's more comfortable then standing up in the hallway."

The seven of them made their way back down the stairs of the small suburban home into the living room. None of them had really had a chance to around the house after getting back, since they were all too nervous about what had happened the previous night to want to do a lot of exploring. Now that they had come to the living room they were all a bit surprised to find it in complete disarray. Megavolt's fight with the shadowy Negaduck had left half of the room as a big blackened scorch. Half of the couch, the TV and the majority of the carpeting were completely ruined.

"What a mess…." Bushroot muttered under his breath, not wanting to think about the work it was going to take to rebuild the room.

"Gee Megs, way to bring down the house." Quackerjack's snide comment earned him a warning zap from Megavolt who looked embarrassed as he surveyed the damage done to the living room.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Gosalyn remarked calmly, trying to ease one of her guardian's humiliation. "This still looks better than what it was when Negaduck lived here and we fixed that up just fine. If all of us work together, I'm sure it will look better than ever in no time."

"That's my girl, always looking on the bright side no matter what." Megavolt said proudly, tousling the duckling's curly red hair.

The others smiled as they took their seats in a semi-circle around Morganna, who was finally settling down. They all quieted down as they waited to her what had bothered her so much about the events last night.

"Now, I don't know how much any of you know about magic," Morganna began from her spot on the edge of what remained of the couch, "but you should know that it isn't an art form that can be picked up in a day—or at least without the help of some strong spiritual or demonic forces. For instance, I spent almost every day of the week from the time I was five until I was twenty-two studying all of the formulas, calculations and elements of magic. Even with all of my studying, I didn't feel that I had much control over my powers until I was fourteen. In addition to that, and I don't mean to brag, but I was the most gifted witch in my class. It took many of my classmates far longer than that to finally get a firm grasp upon their powers."

"So, I take it magic is much more scientific and mathematical than popular culture would have us believe." Tank deduced from his spot between Bushroot and Liquidator on the floor.

Morganna snorted. "To think that all it takes to learn or use magic is to say the right incantation is preposterous and downright insulting. But your question does lead me to my point and main cause for concern. Negaduck has only been missing since early June, a little over five months, correct?"

"That's right." Megavolt confirmed with a nod. "No one has seen him since Darkwing Duck chased after him through the portal to his universe."

"Yet, he came back here last night using some strong illusionary spells, along with some very advanced shadow magic, right?" Though she couldn't see it, she sensed their agreement and continued. "You understand now why this troubles me? There's no way he could have learned these spells without some type of help."

"Wait, are you talking about what you said earlier?" Bushroot asked nervously. "About how magic can only be attained quickly if there's some type of spiritual or demonic help involved?"

"While I'm not quite sure what was helping him was otherworldly, I would hypothesize that it was something around those lines." The witch said heavily. "Although, I have my doubts that anybody or anything is helping him any longer. If he did have some type of demonic force aiding his cause then I don't see why he would have bothered only sending a shadow copy of himself to this universe. Something that strong could easily transport his flesh and blood body all the way here from wherever he is without any trouble."

"But why would some demonic force that takes interest in Negaduck enough to teach him all this powerful magic, suddenly abandon him?" Quackerjack chimed in, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. "Unless, of course, he betrayed whatever was helping him. Something we all know he would do."

"Well, if my theory is correct, it may not have been any type of spiritual or demonic force that was assisting him, but rather a naïve good samaritan. As we all know, Negaduck disappeared through the dimensional portal and has not been seen again since. I've actually checked out that portal in the bakery and found that it had been permanently closed off. The gateway between worlds must have collapsed while Darkwing and Negaduck where traveling through it. Not to worry," she raised a hand to stall the question she knew was forthcoming; "Darkwing Duck made it back to his own world safely. But since Negaduck never made it back to our dimension, I have to assume that he was sucked into some type of dimensional void. From there, he would have been stuck floating in the time and space continuum between worlds forever."

The six were silent at this, all exchanging uneasy glances. None of them really knew how they felt about this information. It was true that Negaduck was a cruel, sadistic tyrant who lived for causing mindless destruction and suffering. Even so, to spend eternity lost in the space between worlds, to be left to wander alone for eons and eons, wasn't a fate they would have wished upon their worst enemy.

"Or at least, it would have been forever had someone or something not intervened. There are summoning spells that we witches and wizards can use that can bring creatures from both the afterlife and from the dimensions that exist between our worlds. These spells are extremely unpredictable and dangerous because if the spell caster is not stronger than the being that they call for, there is a possibility that they will have let loose a terrible monster on their world with no means of stopping it. Also, if this is the first time that the spell has ever been used by the witch or wizard, they could easily summon the wrong creature to their world without intending to. This happens quite frequently to young wizards and witches with the results always being disastrous. Normally these events end with burying the body of the young spell caster—if there's anything left to bury that is."

"Then, is that what you think happened?" Tank asked as she paused to take a short breath. "Negaduck was accidently summoned by some being with magic as he was floating around in the space between dimensions?"

"That's exactly what I think happened. I think some foolish young witch or wizard from another dimension decided to use summoning magic and brought him into their world. From there, he probably sweet talked whoever it was into teaching him a new trick or two."

"But I thought you said magic takes several years of study to learn." Bushroot inquired with a scratch of his head. "Even if he did convince this person to assist him in his cause, he couldn't have mastered anything yet, could he?"

"Not without a bit of treachery, he couldn't." The witch informed him grimly. "The only way a person could learn magic in as short of time as he did is to use some forbidden magic. To gain access to the books that have them, he must have convinced whoever or whatever brought him down to their dimension to break the rules and seek out this knowledge."

"From what you've all told me, he was using some of the most highly advanced shadow and illusionary spells that exist, spells that take decades of study to fully master. That leads me to believe that Negaduck has been extracting his powers from other beings."

"'Extracting?'" Tank repeated curiously. "You mean he's been taking abilities from other people?"

"Stealing would be the more correct term, but yes, I think so."

"How could he do that?"

"There are a couple of ways he could do this, but judging by his sadistic nature, I think I know which one he's using. You see, extraction magic is one of the easiest spells to master and one of the most forbidden. The key to mastering this spell is a complete disregard for the suffering of others and an insatiable desire for power. As we well know, our former overlord possesses and embraces both of these attributes."

"But why is that a requirement for learning the spell?" Gosalyn asked in a small voice, fearing the answer.

"It is because this is a spell that is versed in cruelty. A person's abilities or magical powers are tied to their very being. This dark magic makes it possible to siphon off their powers and knowledge little by little, which drains the life force of the being in the process. It allows the spell caster to absorb some of their victim's powers and be able to use their abilities for a short period of time. When the caster needs more, they simply take more from their host. Needless to say, the process is excruciating for the victim and their suffering only ends when they die."

Both the kids and adults exchanged grim looks at this new information.

"Although, it is possible for the spell caster to take all of their victim's powers at once and kill the being instantly." Morganna continued, thinking aloud. "The final product is much stronger and is often turned into an object of the caster's choosing. Most witches or wizards would choose to form the stolen abilities into to stones, crystals, jewels or any other type of small, unnoticeable items. There is also the option of taking the power and imbuing it into an already existing object. The only downside to this is that if those objects are broken, then the witch or wizard loses that power for good."

"When I was fighting him in the backyard, I shorted out his chainsaw with my stream of water." Liquidator said quietly. It was the first time he'd spoken for the entire time the witch had been in their home. He did not like to speak to her unless he absolutely had to, but he felt like this conversation was too important for him to maintain his silence. "Before he knocked me unconscious, I saw that he had lost some of his power and that he looked more like the other shadows then he had when he first appeared. Do you think he transferred the powers he obtained from other people into his chainsaw?"

"Yes, I think that's the most plausible explanation." She confirmed for the liquid dog. "Negaduck must have extracted those powers from two well-versed and very powerful dark magic practitioners. From there, he sent his own shadow to our dimension, found that old hat of his lying around and transferred half of his powers to that. As a backup, he found his chainsaw and placed the rest of his power source into it to use as an amplifier. Once the chainsaw was broken, he lost a large amount of his power and once the hat was destroyed, he disappeared completely."

"Now," she continued, her unseeing eyes panning the other occupants of the room, "you all should be able to draw some conclusions from this information about why none of you were killed when he attacked this place yesterday. Or at least, three of you should be able to guess why."

A short pause followed this statement, as the three super powered members of the Friendly Four looked at each other, all coming up with the same idea.

"He was going to take our powers from us, wasn't he?" Megavolt said with a shiver, as Liquidator and Bushroot traded uneasy glances.

"Well, if that's true, then why didn't he kill me when he had a chance?" The toymaker questioned, trying not to sound too irritable. He never liked to be reminded of the fact that he was the only person who didn't have super powers among the Four. "He couldn't take anything from me, so why keep me alive?"

"Because the thing he needed from you was your life. He would have needed to sacrifice your life along with Gosalyn's and Tank's to complete one of his spells."

"What kind of spell?" Tank added with morbid curiosity.

"My guess is that he was planning to use you for a powerful dimensional traveling spell. Traveling between dimensions, unless they're close by, takes more power that most people could ever hope to have. Unless you can find some type of already established connection between the world you are on and the world you want to go to, much like the birthday cake in the bakery, you have to perform this high level spell. Let me make it clear that portals like the one Negaduck used in the bakery are rare and normally only go to the closest nearby dimension. Otherwise, you have to be born with enough power to cast the dimensional traveling spell and even then, most witches or wizards can only do it once. Most who try lose their lives in the process. The reason why there was such a hefty penalty placed upon dimensional travel is because we are born into our dimensions and worlds for a reason. Traveling to other dimensions could disrupt the flow of time or alter history for the dimension a person lands in. If the changes made are significant enough, it could affect several dimensions and universes in the time and space continuum. That's why dimensional traveling spells, while not forbidden, are only used when there seems to be no other choice left. It's also why it usually costs the spell caster their life to use this magic because it discourages people from trying to go to other dimensions and gain power." She sighed sadly before continuing. "Unfortunately, a loophole has been found to get around this predicament."

"Which is?" Quackerjack queried as the bells on his hat jiggling impatiently when she paused to take a breath.

"If the spell caster were to sacrifice another life in place of their own, then as long as they had the ability to do so, they could travel between dimensions easily. Of course, the number of lives needed would increase with the distance the witch or wizard needed to travel."

The jester suddenly looked very uncomfortable as this new information was released, pulling down on the ends of his hat. This caught the attention of the electric rat, who knew his friend didn't react this way unless something was bothering him or he was angry.

"What's the matter?"

"Well," Quackerjack said slowly as if trying to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say. "After I was captured by Negaduck and his shadows, I woke up a minute or so before we were all returned to the bedroom upstairs. I was a little woozy, so what I saw wasn't completely clear, but…"

"Inquiring minds want to know what you think you saw." Liquidator reassured him after he trailed off. "A misinformed consumer is still better than a consumer with no information at all."

"Well, if you say so," the jester replied with a nod. "At first, I glanced to my left and saw the three of you all held in some type of capsule. There were a bunch of empty ones around you, but there also looked like there were a few that were occupied on the other side of the room. It was hard to tell because the figures in the capsules seemed to be hunched over or curled up in a ball. They were probably in pain now that I think about it."

"Anyway, when I turned to my right, I saw the real Negaduck. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor and he seemed to be in some type of trance. A few feet behind him were a pile of unmoving figures sprawled out on the floor. I couldn't make out their faces from where I was, but they were all dressed in black robes with cowls on the back. At the time, I thought maybe they had just fainted. Now that I have time to look back on it, especially after what you told us Morganna, it's much more likely that they were all dead. Then, I felt something pulling me backwards and the next thing I know, all of us are back in the master bedroom where the whole mess started."

"That's because he lost control of his powers when his hat was destroyed. Gosalyn, you mentioned that there was some type of tear forming behind you, right?"

"Oh!" She said, surprised that the conversation had suddenly focused upon her. She shrunk down a little bit as she replied, not liking to be the center of attention. "Yes, when he came up the stairs to attack Tank and I, some kind of tear began forming behind him and there was slight wind coming from it too. I felt like he was trying to suck us in to it."

"You are correct about that and you should be grateful you destroyed his hat in time." Morganna said to her with a warm smile. "If you hadn't, you would have been captured with the rest of your friends by that dimensional tear and none of you would have escaped with your lives. It is only because he cast that spell and it backfired when he lost control that you four were pulled back into this dimension. Gosalyn's courage truly saved all of your lives last night."

Gosalyn was now blushing furiously as all of them turned to her and expressed their gratitude. Once they were finished, the former Fearsome Five member turned back to the jester.

"Now, Quackerjack, I need you to answer something for me. Do you remember anything else about the room where you were held?" The witch asked him intently, clearly hoping he had some type of answer.

"Not much." The toymaker replied with a shrug. "I was only awake for a few minutes before that backfired spell pulled me out of the room. From the little I did see of it, I could tell you that it was kind of an odd place. It looked like some kind of make shift dungeon or factory. One thing that really stood out to me though was that the ceiling would go black occasionally and colors would shift past it. It kind of felt like the place was trying to become something else, but was incomplete in a way."

"That's because you were taken to what witches and wizards call a dimensional pocket. There small spaces that exist in the time and space continuum after a new world has failed to form or has collapsed in on itself. There are usually a couple of these places around each dimension and world simply because creating a new world or universe is a complicated process that ends more often in failure then success."

"As such, these small dimensional pockets are very easy to get to from a world and are used by witches and wizards as training grounds. They are devoid of life and they give young magic users in training a safe place to practice with little likelihood of damaging their classmates or the world they live in. As long as one knows the location of the pocket, a simple transportation spell can usually take witches and wizards right to it. Traveling to these small spaces does not incur the penalties that dimensional travel usually does because, well, for one thing nothing lives there and there's no balance or order to be messed with. The second reason is since these patches are so close to the world the witch or wizard is coming from the amount of power needed to get there is almost infinitesimal in comparison to other such travel."

"I don't understand." Bushroot said with a shake of his head. "Why would he have chosen to implement his plan in one of these pockets instead of just on the planet itself? Does it make some kind of difference?"

"Well, there would be some benefit for him to be a little closer to the Negaverse when he decided to send his shadow to our dimension." Morganna responded swiftly. "There would have been a little less power required of him. More likely, however, he is using that space as his base of operations and has acquired enough knowledge that he knows the spell to block it off from other magic users on the planet. Basically, he is taking his victims to this makeshift dungeon of his and is putting up a shield afterwards that only allows him to get in or out of it. That way, he can take as many innocent people as he wanted to his headquarters, drain their powers and their loved ones would have no means of getting to them before it was too late."

"So, let me get this straight…" Tank trailed off slowly, clearly trying to wrap his head around all the new information he'd been given. "Negaduck was banished into the void between time and space after the dimensional portal between our world and Darkwing's collapsed. He would have spent the rest of his life in this void if he hadn't been summoned by some unknowing witch or wizard. He tricked the person into helping him and then turned on them once he got the information he wanted. He started extracting powers from innocent victims until he was strong enough to travel to a dimensional pocket and seal it off, thereby giving him a base for his operations. From there, he sacrificed the lives of more victims to send his shadow here and capture all of us."

Silence met this summary as Tank finally finished waiting for a confirmation. Morganna gave him an affirmative nod, while the other five people in the room wondered what he was getting at. Tank rarely thought out loud unless he was trying to figure something out.

"Then, there's one thing I don't understand." Tank continued, his mind whirring with ideas. "If he does have this sealed base and he can take as many victims as he needed to sacrifice from whatever world he landed on, then why didn't he just get the number he needed to send himself here instead of just his shadow?" The boy genius's eyes light up as something dawned on him. "He wasn't just trying to capture all of us, was he? He came back to test his new powers."

"You really are as smart as Gosalyn always said you were." The witch remarked with a smile as a blush made its way onto the boy's cheeks. "While he was trying to bring you back to his base to pay you back for what happened the last time, that wasn't his only goal. He also wanted to see if he had enough power to make his next campaign for taking over the Negaverse as simple as counting to three. Thanks to all of your efforts, he has realized that he was not as strong as he thought he was and that the Negaverse would not fall to him again so easily."

"But if we all know one thing about Negaduck, it's that he doesn't give up on anything he wants easily." Megavolt put in with a resigned tone of voice. "This isn't going to be the last we see of him, is it?"

"I'd say that we should expect him to come back to the Negaverse one day. And when he does, he's going to be far more dangerous than he ever was before. He'll have had the time to add some very powerful dark magic into his arsenal. He hasn't lost his ambition, even though he's been banished to some world very far away from here. Make no mistake, he will find his way back and try to take over our world again."

"Then, what can we do?" Gosalyn asked in a small voice. She had hoped he would be gone for good.

"We all have to prepare for the inevitable." Morganna replied gently, but firmly. "All of us have to keep training and getting stronger so that when the day comes, we'll be ready to defeat him once and for all."

A silence went across the living room at this remark. It was not a resigned or scared silence, but a hopeful one. They couldn't know how long it would be before Negaduck was back, but this time they had time to prepare. All of them knew they wouldn't give up the Negaverse without a fight.

"I have told you all that I know." Morganna said to them as she got up from her seat. "I thank you again for listening to me."

"It is us who should be thanking you." Tank told her as he got up and stretched. "We never would have figured out what had happened without your help."

"I don't know about that." She told him with a smile. "I have a feeling that you would have been able to piece all of this together even without my help."

Tank blushed again at the compliment as Morganna strode past him heading for the door. Before she reached it, she hesitated a little, then turned back to the occupants of the living room.

"Listen," she said in a low voice. Her eyes settled more upon the Friendly Four then the children. "I know that none of you think very much of me. I am also aware that the animosity you feel towards me is more then deserved. But, I still want to say that if you ever need any help, then please don't hesitate to ask me."

None of the Four answered her at first and three of them looked very uncomfortable at this. It was Megavolt, their leader, who finally gave a small nod at her words and was the only one who replied.

"We'll all keep that in mind. Thank you Morganna."

Without another word, the witch woman who once belonged to the Fearsome Five, exited their home and vanished in a puff of smoke. Megavolt then turned back to the occupants of the living room, who were still taking in all they had heard. He studied each of them as he panned the room contemplating their fate. His other three teammates of the Friendly Four had already fought so hard and given up so much in their previous campaign to attack Negaduck. Then, there were the two kids who had spent years growing up in a city that was devoid of electricity, clean water, plants, toys and anything else that could bring happiness into people's lives. His adopted daughter Gosalyn had even lived with the maniac who had caused it and had suffered for it. Now, he was going to ask all of them to help him once again in overcoming Negaduck and saving the Negaverse from his clutches. It was heartbreaking now to think of the months they had spent prior to Halloween enjoying a normal, peaceful life that they had thought would last forever. That peaceful life was more like a fleeting dream for them all, the deceiving calm before the storm.

"Alright, everyone, I want you to listen." Megavolt said after clearing his throat. "I believe what we have heard from Morganna today is the truth. As such, I also believe that Negaduck is going to return and try to reclaim his undeserved title as overlord of the Negaverse. But here's the one thing that isn't set in stone," he paused here, making sure he had looked everyone in the eye. "None of you have to be involved in this upcoming battle if you don't want to."

"I knew you were going to say that." Quackerjack replied with an eye roll.

"I'm being serious!" Megavolt snapped at the cavalier attitude. "Look, if last night showed one thing it's that fighting Negaduck is going to be more dangerous then ever and there's a good possibility that this time some of us might not—"

"We know." Bushroot answered calmly raising a leaf to keep Megavolt from arguing. "We already know that it's going to be dangerous and that this won't be an easy fight. Even so, we're not just going to run away and try to go on living normal lives while you fight him by yourself."

"There is a one hundred percent guarantee that you will need our help." Liquidator chipped in with his signature smile. "Though it is no hyped up advertising to say that your electric powers are formidable, the odds will be much better if you have a full arsenal of water, plant life and toys at your disposal."

As Liquidator finished one of his many jargons, Quackerjack took the opportunity to flip his way over to Megavolt and throw an arm around his shoulder.

"Besides, what are friends for?" The jester asked before a wide toothy grin spread across his bill. "And you remember what Darkwing always said about danger, right?"

The other three all shared the jester's grin before repeating the familiar catch phrase:

"Let's get dangerous!"

"Okay, you all win." Megavolt conceded, smiling in spite of himself. "We're all going to have to find some time every day to prepare and train from here on out. We want to make sure we're ready."

"And while you're all getting dangerous and training for the fight," Tank put in, bringing their attention back to the two kids, "I think I'll be doing some research on dark magic, particularly on extraction and dimensional travel. I know I don't have a lot of physical strength, but knowledge is power too, so…"

He trailed off there, obviously wishing he had some type of special ability that could be useful to them.

"You're right, you know." Bushroot told him, ruffling his thick hair as he did so. "Without your powers of deduction and quick thinking, we wouldn't have escaped from Negaduck and wound up back here. With all his new tricks, we're going to need that big brain of yours more than ever to come up with some ideas on how to bring him down again. I'm sure whatever you end up finding will be of great use to us as we start our training."

"Thanks, Bushroot." Tank replied with a warm smile. "I'll do my best."

The Friendly Four all smiled and nodded. They were about to leave the living room to discuss some plans when a small voice they hadn't heard for a while halted their movements.

"Wait!" Gosalyn said much louder than she had anticipated. She blushed as they all turned to her, wondering what she had to say.

"W-well, I just wanted to tell you th-that I really want to 'g-get dangerous' too."

All of them looked shocked at this remark as this was quite unlike the quiet, humble, sweet girl who never even liked to see an insect killed. The Friendly Four exchanged glances, none of them liking the idea one bit, but before any of them could argue, Gosalyn spoke once more:

"Please listen," she spoke much more calmly then she had just moments before and had an air of determination about her. "The last time that Negaduck was the ruler of the Negaverse I wasn't able to do anything. I simply got to watch him take pleasure in destroying St. Canard and tormenting the people in it. I want this time to be different. I want to do something about it."

"Last night," she continued when no one replied to her remarks, "I used that bow and arrow to get rid of Negaduck's hat. I've never used a bow and arrow before, but it felt really comfortable in my hands and I thought that maybe if I could practice that I could get even better at it. If I was able to wield the bow and arrow properly, then I could help all of you."

Gosalyn voice grew softer as she ended her case. She looked down at the ground and waited for the verdict from her foster parents. The young duckling had the bad feeling that they were going to say 'no,' thus she was very surprised when Quackerjack put a hand under her chin and made her look up at his smiling face.

"Learning to defend yourself isn't a bad idea at all. I'll be happy to help you with your archery lessons."

"As long as you promise you'll be careful," Bushroot added in mothering tone, "then I don't have a problem with it."

"Marketers and businessmen everywhere agree that when Gosalyn hones her archery skills, it is guaranteed that Negaduck will have unwittingly signed a contact for pain upon his return." Liquidator said confidently.

Gosalyn smiled warmly at three of her guardians before turning back to the fourth who had not spoken. Megavolt had yet to say anything and he looked as though he really wanted to tell her that she couldn't go through with this. His eyes went from his three teammates, who were all looking at him expectantly, before reaching his foster daughter's, who's hands were folded in front of her as she stared at him with a pleading expression. Finally, he sighed:

"Alright, Gos, I won't stop you. I guess it's just hard for me to realize that you're growing up and that you may not need me around to protect you much longer."

The electric rat was about to go on, when Gosalyn ran up and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

"But I **do** need you. I'm always going to need you and the others. That's why I want to learn to use that bow and arrow. I want all of us to be around to see a truly peaceful Negaverse and be able to enjoy it together. You and the others protected me last night. I want to make sure I can protect you too, if it comes down to it."

The sincerity and love in her words made him smile as he returned her hug, all of his doubts fading away. After a tender moment, he let her go and motioned for the others to follow them.

"Well, come along then." Megavolt said as he and the others started moving. "We've all got a lot of work to do."

Gosalyn raced to catch up with the Friendly Four and Tank, feeling light on her feet. With a lot of training and a little luck she sensed that their chances of beating their old nemesis would be good.

******

Author's note: (Imitates Mushu from "Mulan:") "I LIVE!!!!!" Sorry, just had to get that out of my system. I hope you all enjoyed the epilogue. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and patiently awaited the end of this story! I appreciate it very much.


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